Daniel’s Concern for God’s People
And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said: O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments. Daniel 9:4,5
Read Daniel 9:1-9
In our Bible passage we read how Daniel interceded for his nation. His prayer was a hearty confession of the sin and guilt of his people. Concretely, he enumerated how the nation did not listen to the prophets of the Lord. Notice that Daniel prayed to God using the possessive plural pronouns we and our. This may cause us to wonder in what aspect of Israel’s disobedience Daniel was also guilty. In fact, there is not one personal sin of this prophet mentioned in the whole book of Daniel. Instead, we see that he served the Lord with uprightness of heart during his whole life.
Yet Daniel wrote about Israel’s sin using the plural form we. We have sinned; we have not hearkened unto Thy servants the prophets; we have rebelled against the Lord. Daniel felt personally responsible for his nation. He knew that the same sins could also be found in the depths of his own heart, and therefore he wanted to guide the nation in repentance unto God. How do you view the people in your surroundings? What affect do the sins all around you have on your life? Though you might not take part in them, what is your reaction towards them? Daniel’s prayer teaches us that, rather than feeling superior to others, we should confess our sins as well as those of our society unto the Lord. Do you also pray for your community and your country?
Thought: What place does intercessory prayer for your church and nation have in your life?
Psalter 290: 4,5,6 (based on Psalm 106) O Lord, remember me in grace, Let me salvation see; The grace Thou showes to Thy saints, That grace reveal to me. Let me behold Thy peoples’ good And in their joy rejoice; With Thy triumphant heritage Let me lift up my voice. In evil we have gone astray, And sinful is our race; Rebelliously our fathers walked, Forgetful of Thy grace.